1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure involves a new method that can be used to safely and effectively cleanse a patient's bowels, especially the colon prior to diagnostic or surgical procedures.
2. Background Information
Clinical research has shown that early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high clinical priority. A colon examination has been shown to be useful in detecting early cancer or premalignant polyps. Patients who are undergoing this diagnostic examinations of the large bowel usually undergo preparation to assure that the bowel is cleansed of all fecal material adequately before the procedure. Practitioners agree that colonoscopy detects neoplasms at the highest rate and simultaneously affords the opportunity for their endoscopic removal. Current the cleaning procedures associated with this procedure include the combination of reduced food intake with laxatives, enemas, suppositories, bowel evacuants, or orthograde colonic lavage.
These procedures each have difficulties. In particular, conventional techniques are only effective in 85% of patients because patients cannot tolerate existing preparations. In addition, existing preparations result in suboptimal cleansing and, thus, repeat procedures and/or inaccurate readings of diagnostic procedure results.